Symbiont || Pokémon Short Story ✓

Chapter Four: Ethereal

Staring off into space was all Anabel seemed to do. She sat at her desk and gazed at the wall unblinkingly, as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Her fingers twitched every now and then as if grasping for something, but the energy diminished as quick as it came.

The woman couldn't process anything that happened around her. She refused to see challengers, and even her own Pokémon were hesitant to leave their Poké Balls. Greta stopped by with food a couple times a day, but she was either ignored or chased out. There was no such thing as peace of mind at the Battle Frontier, not after Caitlin left.

Anabel didn't know how long it had been since the blonde's departure; probably several months. They had since hired someone else to take her place, but it was of little interest to the Salon Maiden. She ran her thumb of the Ability Symbol, the item ever-present in her hand.

I can't help but think that badge was my replacement!

Anabel nearly snarled at the remembrance. The same memories plagued her daily and only filled her with fury.

Such idiocy. She paused and glanced at the object. I wonder what it would be like to live in a world free from incompetence and lies -- a world of understanding and tranquility.

At that moment, Anabel felt the ground beneath her feet tremble. She turned her head as a bright light filled the chamber. The very air rippled, and before long the space came alive with what looked to be sparks of electricity. It was so blinding that it made the Frontier Brain shield her eyes. The strange sensation calmed and, when she took her hand away, her jaw dropped.

A glowing, pulsating tunnel sat midair in her bedroom, exerting winds that moved the furniture. Anabel got up from her seat and edged closer. The thing had extensions that branched out in all directions, but she couldn't see past the illumination. The raw power coming from the mass made her buzz with foreign anticipation.

A faint grin graced her lips. "This must be my ticket to the perfect world, one free of stupidity." She reached toward it. "Someone heard my call. Take me, and make me feel pure bliss."

The wormhole reacted instantly. The light filled every corner of the room, and within seconds Anabel was gone. The only trace of her existence was the Ability Symbol that laid on the tile where she once stood.

~~~~~~

Anabel's eyes fluttered open. She groaned as she sat up, her head pounding viciously. The woman could feel every ache and pain, and her blurry vision obscured her new surroundings.

The setting was warm and comfortable. Sunlight blanketed her body as the sound of rustling grass whispered in her ears and the light breeze carried the pleasant scent of lilacs. Anabel appeared to be in a field of grass painted with flowers of all sizes and colors. It was almost identical to the paradise from her dreams, except now it was real. Now, she was safe. She was home.

A murmur came from behind. She spun around just as a glowing girl came into sight; an entity wearing a white Sunday bonnet and a matching pearl dress. The girl beckoned for Anabel to follow and ran through the flower field, careful not to trample one of the dainty plants. The lady scrambled to her feet, eager to see more of the heavenly garden.

But then her beautiful dream began to crumble away with every step she took. The emerald grass disintegrated beneath her. The flowers melted away. The blue sky turned black. The cruelty of it all forced tears down her cheeks. Chasing Anabel was reality; a wretched land that was dim and eerie, with air that smelled damp and old. The humidity made her skin feel tacky, and her clothes stuck to her body as she stomped over the terrain, trying to outrun the truth and seek refuge in her once serene landscape. The dark caves were hunting her down and biting at her heels. Anabel watched from the corner of her eye as the lilacs revealed their true forms; dull and faded plants, looking as if barely they were barely clinging to life.